Difference of Clinical Features according to Hypoalbuminemia in the Children with Pleural Effusion

Sung, Min Jung; Park, Hee Ju

Abstract

PURPOSE
Hypoalbuminemia is a rare cause of pleural effusion. The relationship between the severity of hypoalbuminemia and the clinical course of pleural effusion is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change of clinical course according to the severity of hypoalbuminemia due to pleural effusion in children.
METHODS
A total of 96 patients admitted to Pusan National University Hospital with pleural effusion from August 1998 to August 2004 were studied retrospectively. The 79 patients who had only infectious causes were evaluated according to their albumin levels. They were divided into the two groups:group 1 had serum albumin levels of < or =2.5 g/dL; group 2:>2.5 g/dL. The clinical courses of each group were compared.
RESULTS
The nature of pleural effusion was transudates in seven cases and exudates in 89 cases. The most commom causes of transudates were renal failure(four cases) and the most common causes of exudates were parapneumonic effusion(58 cases). There was no statistical significance in mean ages, BUN, creatinine, potassium, bilirubin and WBC in each group. Four patient in group 1 and 26 patients in group 2 improved after medication of antibiotics or anti-tuberculosis agents only. Fourteen patients in group 1 and 26 patients in group 2 improved after thoracostomy with use of antibiotics. Eight patients in group 1 and one patient in group 2 had ventilator care with use of antibiotics therapy.
CONCLUSION
Children who were diagnosed as pleural effusion with low serum albumin levels on admission had poorer prognoses than those with normal levels. We conclude that lower serum albumin level on admission is an important prognosis factor in a patient with pleural effusion.